A Fallen Angel
by Emilinia-sama
Summary: Syaoran Li is walking home when he saves a girl from being raped. he and his friends take her in and try to uncover her past, only to find ghosts and demons hiding there. what is to become of her though? SxS ExT
1. Chapter 1

Me: this is my 2nd attempt at a CCS fanfic. i hope it's good. as is proceded, i have no ownership over the characters or story of CCS nor will i anytime soon.

Sakura: and on that note, here's chapter 1. hope you like it!

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A Fallen Angel

Chapter 1

Bloody Angel

"Damn him. Why does he have to take things out on _me_ when something goes wrong…?!" 21 year old Syaoran Li muttered under his breath. He was walking home from his third part-time job, and his nerves were crumbling. All he wanted to do now was eat a sandwich and fall asleep. _Or something to that degree_…he thought. He sighed. He had gotten out of high school with his best friend, Eriol Hiragizawa, not but two years ago. He had decided to start working, while Eriol had gone on to college. They still lived together though. But Syaoran had to uphold three part-time jobs to keep them living in the same apartment. So as a result, he and Eriol hardly talked at all. Somehow, Syaoran got the feeling that they were growing apart because they hardly talked now. And this frightened him some, as he didn't have many other friends besides Eriol and Eriol's girlfriend, Tomoyo.

"I really hope she doesn't come over tonight," he whispered to himself, "I can't ever sleep when she's over…"

He was getting close to where his apartment was when he heard a woman's scream pierce the air. He jumped and looked around. The shrill sound had come from an alley way on his right. He hesitated before going, but went anyway, as he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep if whoever screamed wasn't saved. And he wanted to sleep sometime that night.

He ran a little further ways, when he collided with another body. It was too dark to tell what the person looked like, but from what it had felt like when he and the person had impacted, the person was female. He grabbed the person's arm to keep them both from falling over. He took out a pocket flash light he had in his pocket, and flicked it on.

It was indeed a girl that had run into him. A girl around the age of sixteen or seventeen with brown hair and emerald eyes. She was bleeding from several cuts on her body, the most shallow cut was on her forehead, which was still bleeding to no end. _She is quite a sight_. he thought.

She began to struggle, trying to break free of Syaoran's grip. "Hey--!" He was cut off by a shout from behind them. The girl froze, her eyes widening in terror. Syaoran glanced at her, then at the darkness ahead of them. He groaned internally. _Why me?!_

"Come on!" he said before dragging the terrified girl over to a stack of boxes. He pushed the girl behind the boxes and crouched down next to her. She was shivering violently. Syaoran wrapped the girl in his arms, trying to get her to calm down. It wasn't helping much, but he couldn't do much more at the present moment.

A large man came in to sight. He reminded Syaoran of that giant sailor guy from Popeye (except without the sailor suit). The thug walked past the stack of boxes looking around. Syaoran spotted a beer bottle on the other side of the alley. "Stay here," he commanded the girl in a whisper. She looked at him with uncertain eyes, but nodded her head.

Syaoran slunk across the alley as quietly as he could, staying to the shadows to the best of his ability. The thug turned around, and Syaoran froze. The large man strode over to the stack of boxes. "There ya are, ya lidl' vixen!" he said menacingly. Syaoran's breath hitched. He sprinted over to the abandoned beer bottle, grabbed it, and ran behind the thug. He smashed the bottle over the sailor-looking thug's head with a triumphant smile.

The guy turned around; Syaoran's grin vanished. "Shit," he whispered. "You were supposed to fall over…" he added sheepishly. Sailor merely narrowed his eyes and kicked Syaoran in the gut.

"Tha's wha ya get when ya iner'fere wid my business!" Sailor spat. "Now girlie…"

Syaoran groaned and clutched at his stomach. He looked back at the girl. Her eyes were glazed over in fear; something in her eyes told Syaoran that she knew her life was almost over. Something in Syaoran clicked at that moment. He looked around the alley one more time and spotted his new weapon. Near the boxes was a crow bar. _Perfect!_ He looked back at the girl. _Just hold on…_

He ran over to the crow bar and grabbed it. He let his instincts take over at that moment; he jumped up onto one of the boxes. He took a second to aim and jumped toward the sailor guy. He brought the crow bar down heavily upon Sailor's head. And that was that.

Sailor dropped the brunette girl, and fell onto his side, his eyes glazed over. _Maybe the crow bar was too much…_ Syaoran thought, panting. He looked back to the girl. She was staring up at him with fear and wonder in her eyes. He turned toward her fully; she shrunk back further into the wall. _I just saved her life! Why's she…?!_ He looked at her closer and noticed her eyes were on the crow bar, not him. _…Oh…right._ Syaoran threw away the crow bar. Now her eyes rested on him and only on him.

He approached her slowly, so as not to scare her. She watched him with wary eyes, but didn't try to move away. "Are you alright?" he asked her. She nodded slowly. "Are you sure?"

"Well, I'm mentally stable, if that's what you're asking," she said in a low voice.

He blinked. The girl's aura had completely changed. It seemed darker than it had a minute ago. She looked at him with cold, untrusting eyes. "…well, okay then. But that was only half of what I was asking…" he said.

"Do I loo--"

Her eyes glazed over, and she collapsed on top of Syaoran. "Wha-? Hey! _Hey! _" But she was already unconscious. Syaoran growled. "Damn it!"

**-)-(- -)-(-**

Eriol was about to grab something out of the fridge, when he heard the door slam open and shut. "That you, Shao?" he called behind him.

"Yeah," came the response.

Eriol grabbed a packet of chamomile tea for his (from the sound of his voice) exhausted friend and a soda for himself. He put the kettle on to boil and went into the small living area shared by him and Syaoran. He blinked when he saw Syaoran sitting on the floor in front of the couch instead of collapsed on top of it like he normally was. He went over to his friend. And dropped his not-yet-open soda can onto the ground at the sight in front of him.

There, laying on his couch, was a bloodied, bruised, and unconscious girl. There were several deep cuts on her arms and her shirt was stained crimson. She didn't appear to bruised though, but he brushed that thought aside. "Wha-what the hell did you do?!" Eriol cried out in shock.

"Nothing! I heard her scream, and I found this other guy about to rape her. I managed to knock him out and I brought her here," Syaoran told his dark haired friend.

"And you expect me to believe that?!" Eriol retorted.

"Think about it, Eriol. If I had wanted to kill her, would I bring her here…?"

"Well…I don't know! Maybe!" But Eriol saw the logic in the other boy's words.

"Just the get the damned first aid kit, Eriol."

Eriol just nodded dumbly. He grabbed the kit out from the counter under the sink, and the phone in the process. He began to dial his girlfriend's number when he gave the first aid kit to Syaoran. He gave the run down of what was happening, ignoring Syaoran's dumbstruck expression, and asked her to come over right away. She told him she'd be there in a few minutes and they hung up.

"What the hell, Eriol?! This isn't any time to be talking to your girlfriend!" Syaoran yelled, as soon as he got over his cat-got-tongue syndrome.

"Well, I know how much of a virgin you are, and this girl's clearly got cuts under her shirt. And I'm sure you'd spill to Tomoyo that I was cleaning the torso of another woman. And thanks but no thanks, I'd rather not have to deal with a pissed off Tomoyo."

"Kiss up…" Syaoran muttered. Eriol merely shrugged. The two of them began to clean the girls wound when the was a knock at the door. Eriol got up to get the door for his girlfriend, while Syaoran just rolled his eyes and continued to clean the girl's wounds. As more and more blood was rid of her person, he saw that she was actually very pretty, with porcelain skin and short, brown hair with honey colored highlights that framed her face quite nicely.

But Syaoran couldn't get her eyes out of his mind. Deep emerald orbs filled with distrust and hate. Hate directed at him. He shivered at the memory. He didn't ever think a person would- could have that much hatred flowing in their blood.

After about 30 minutes, Syaoran and his friends had cleaned off all of the girls showing wounds, and then Tomoyo shoved him and Eriol out of the living room. The two of them refilled the kettle (all the water that had been in it had evaporated). They filled three mugs of chamomile, when Tomoyo called for them to come in to the living room. They rushed in. Well, to be more precise, Syaoran rushed in to the living room; Eriol was covering the mugs so they could settle.

"What's wrong Tomoy--" Syaoran broke off, his face going bright red. His eyes fell directly on the brunette girl's exposed torso.

Eriol came up from behind Syaoran. Seeing his friends blush, Eriol came and whacked the back of Syaoran's head, saying, "Jeez. Shao, if you have a problem, then don't look!" Syaoran pouted but didn't say anything. "Now, what is the problem Tomoyo?"

It was only then that both boys noticed that the mysterious girl's eyes were open and staring warily at them. Despite himself, Syaoran couldn't help but feel mesmerized by her emerald iris'- now that they weren't filled with animosity, anyway.

"Good evening, young lady," Eriol said politely. The said 'young lady' looked directly at Eriol, focusing her mesmerizing gaze on him instead. Syaoran blinked. He felt as though he had just been released from a spell of some sort. Eriol closed his eyes, as he saw what effect the girl's eyes had had on his friend, but smiled at the girl. "Would you do us the honor of telling us your name?"

She said nothing for a moment, only stared at Eriol. Finally she answered, "It's Sakura. Sakura Kinomoto."

"Well then, Sakura-san, why don't you rest for a little while longer. Your body needs time to heal, if what Shao told me earlier was true."

She continued to fix Eriol with her unrelenting stare. Finally, she muttered something unintelligible, and passed out on the couch once more.

It took about another hour before they had finally finished bandaging Sakura up. By this time it was past one o'clock in the morning, so Tomoyo decided to spend the night over, much to Syaoran's dismay.

"I'll just sleep out here. I've known you two to stay up pretty late whenever Daidouji's over, Eriol."

The both of them shrugged and went into Eriol's room. _Yeah, I guess I'll just stay out here, seeing as my room is directly across from Eriol's…_ Syaoran thought. The amber eyed boy got up slowly and turned off the lights. He then went to sit in recliner that was next to the couch. He glanced over at the girl one last time. The last thing (and he never figured out if this was a dream or not) Syaoran noted before he drifted off was the ethereal shine coming off the sleeping Sakura.

Almost as though she were glowing.

--

Me: ooohhhh...yeah. well, there's my first chapter. i probably won't update (for anyone who cares) for at least a few days. i have anoth fanfic that i need to finish first. but it's almost done, so i won't be too long for the next chapter.

Sakura: and that's always good news right?

Syaoran: sure... but until a certain lazy ass updates, you readers need to review.

Me: that's true. after all, "HOW CAN YOU HAVE ANY NEW CHAPTERS IF YOU DON'T REVIEW?!" ...or something like that.

Eriol: if you're done making vauge referances, Emilinia. We'll see you later!


	2. Chapter 2

Me: here i am once again! i'm thankful for all the reviews i've gotten so far! i'd love to hear more though.

Syaoran: Emilinia doesn't own any of us CCS characters.

Tomoyo & Sakura: we hope you like this next chapter!

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A Fallen Angel

Chapter 2

Forgotten Angel

Syaoran grumbled softly as his inner timer went off. He carefully opened his eyes, letting the day light in slowly. He sat there, wondering why he was in the recliner and not his own bed, when he remembered the events that took place yesterday. He looked over at Sakura once again. Her creamy porcelain skin glowed dimly in the morning light. _Or…is she **actually** glowing?!_

He shook his head, knowing that if Eriol and Tomoyo walked in on him gawking at the unconscious girl, they'd never let him hear the end of it. He sighed as he got out of the reclining chair and stretched. He walked into the kitchen, put water and coffee grinds into the instant coffee maker, and got out four mugs. Syaoran didn't figure that the Sakura-girl would wake up now, but it never hurt to be prepared. He grabbed the mailbox key and made his way out of the kitchen.

He walked into the hallway that separated the kitchen from the living room and that led to the front door, when he heard a small rustle. He turned around, thinking Sakura had woken up. She hadn't woken up but had merely turned over, much to his dismay. And surprise. _She has a lot of deep cuts and bruises over her body, so how can she flip over onto her side like that…?_ He continued to look over at the girl, thinking that maybe she'd wake up, but the only movement that she made was the steady rise and fall of her sides, indicating that she was indeed breathing, alive, and asleep. He smacked himself. _Why am I getting so worked up over something like this?! I don't even know the girl!!_ Yet he couldn't stop the tiny feeling of anxiety welling within his chest. He growled softly and stomped out the door.

When he came back with the monthly bills and morning paper, he looked up to see Sakura sitting up and staring at him. But her eyes were once again different then when she had looked at him last night. There was no distrust or wariness; her eyes were blank. Empty, void of any emotions, except for confusion. Confusion at him, at where she was, at everything. "Your…awake…" Syaoran stated dumbly.

She just blinked at him. The Syaoran noticed that her body wasn't glowing like it had only a few minutes ago. It still had a certain shine, but it wasn't _glowing_. He pushed

that thought to the back of his mind for the time being.

"So," he started, his first question spilling out, "want to tell me why you were out there last night…?"

The confusion in the girl's eyes grew. "I…do not…understand. Was I not…here…?"

Syaoran shook his head firmly. Did she not remember…? Her voice broke through his thoughts, as she asked, "Where am I…?"

"Your at mine and my friend, Eriol's apartment," Syaoran told her. "…Do you remember anything? Anything at all…about yourself, or…?"

She lowered her gaze contemplatively. She looked at him again, and shook her head. "So you don't remember your name, where you come from, or anything like that?" Syaoran asked. Sakura shook her head.

"…Do you know me?" Sakura asked after a moment of silence.

Syaoran studied the girl closely. _She doesn't seem to be lying…_ he thought. He sighed. It didn't look like he was getting any answers to his questions if the girl couldn't remember her own name. "…All I know about you is that your name is Sakura Kinomoto."

"Oh, I see." Neither of them said anything for awhile. Syaoran went back into the kitchen, putting the news paper on the counter, and poured four cups of coffee. "…I never caught your name," Sakura said.

Syaoran glanced at her over his shoulder. "It's Syaoran. Syaoran Li."

"…Li-onii-san!" Sakura said randomly. Syaoran looked over at the girl strangely, as

though she had just fallen out of a tree. But then he saw the last expression he'd ever thought he'd see on _this_ girl's face. She was smiling. At him. And he couldn't help but gape at her. Her smile faded. "What is it?"

Syaoran started, being forced out of his trance-like-state. "N-nothing…" He strode over to Eriol's bedroom. "Eriol! Wake up!"

There was grumble from the other side of the door before a bedraggled looking Eriol came out with Tomoyo in tow. "Another long night, you two?" Syaoran asked dryly.

"Shut it, virgin," Eriol retorted. He was never happy in the morning until he had his coffee.

"Ouch, that stung…"

Eriol just rolled his eyes. He went into the kitchen, Tomoyo still following him and grabbed the coffee pot. He poured himself a mug full for himself and his girlfriend. When he drained the whole mug, he turned around and saw Sakura staring at him. They stared at each other for several minutes before Eriol said pleasantly, "Well, good morning Sakura-san."

She nodded in response. "Are you Eriol…?"

He nodded. Sakura gave a small "ah" and then turned to Tomoyo, who was gaping at her. "And who is she?" the honey-brunette asked.

"I'm Tomoyo Daidouji," Tomoyo answered. Eriol walked over to Syaoran. Syaoran knew the question Eriol was going to ask before he even opened his mouth.

"She's lost her memory," he stated simply.

"That's bull. If she'd had _truly_ lost her memory, she wouldn't be able to talk," Eriol argued.

"Well then, she's suppressed her memories. And though I don't know how she did it, to be perfectly honest, I wouldn't want to remember last night either, if I were her. Plus, I don't know if you noticed or not, but the looks she was giving us last night were rather untrusting. She's probably got some sort of past she doesn't want to remember."

"…Maybe…but what do we do with her?"

"Let's change her bandages first. Then we'll talk about that," Syaoran suggested. Eriol nodded. He went into the kitchen and got the first aid kit once again, and went over to Sakura.

"…What's that for?" she asked.

"You were badly injured last night. This is for your injuries," Eriol explained.

"Ah, I see."

"Check her head injury first, Eriol," Tomoyo told him. Eriol nodded, and took off the blood stained bandage. But there was no wound.

"There's not even any scaring," Syaoran whispered.

Eriol began to take off the bandages one by one. And all the previously wounded places were the same. Even her deepest wound, which had been on her forearm, was completely healed, save a faint scar. The three friends looked at each other in amazement, and then back at Sakura, whose gaze held only confusion. _So **that's** why she could turn on her side this morning, and…was **that** what that glow was…?_

Finally the silence was broken by Tomoyo. "You are _so **cute**_! I've always wanted a little sister!" she exclaimed, tackling a stunned Sakura.

****

-)-(- -)-(-

Tomoyo had taken Sakura shopping, whilst the men had stayed home. Syaoran had called his boss, saying he was sick (it had taken Eriol an hour and a half to talk/pester him into doing this) and now he sat at the kitchen table discussing what should be done about Sakura.

"We should put up lost-and-found posters. Her parents are probably worried sick about her…" Eriol suggested.

"Okay, for one, she's not a dog. Two, I already told you. Her parents were probably abusing her or something. That might actually be why she was out last night in the first place."

"Well then, what about the orphanage…?"

"No way. I know the movies aren't very accurate, but I still bet life there sucks. And maybe even more so if you've lost your memory."

"…You're not making this very easy on anybody, you know?"

"Yeah, but…well, do _you_ want to put her in an orphanage?"

"…No. But--"

"But, what?!"

"I was just about to say," Eriol muttered irritably under his breath. "But what if the police find her?"

Syaoran didn't answer.

--

Me: perdicament, huh? not like it stops poor, simple minded Syaoran.

Syaoran: WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?!

Me: nothing, nothing at all.

Syaoran: (_mutters_) bitch...

Eriol: now now Syaoran. no need for that kind of language.

Syaoran: QUIT TALKING DOWN TO ME!!

--

**Review answers:**

MengLong: when i said Sakura's aura changed, i meant it went from being terrified to untrusting. sorry i didn't clarify that, and i hope this chapter lives up to your expectations.

Twilight Kisses: 'could be interesting'...? i guess i'm going to have to work real hard to make it interesting. i hope you like this chapter.

--

Me: don't forget to review now! see you later!


	3. Chapter 3

Me: well, this took me awhile. but it's done! here is chapter 3 for all you courteous readers!

Tomoyo: Emilinia owns no one.

Me: but this is still my story. enjoy!

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A Fallen Angel

Chapter 3

Lovable Angel

"Jeez. Why the hell am I such a softie?" Syaoran muttered his under breath. He and Eriol were still waiting for Tomoyo and Sakura to come back. And Eriol was staring strangely at him; this was really pissing him off. "…What is it, Eriol?" he asked irritably.

"I'm just wondering…Why are you so determined to have Sakura-san live here?"

Syaoran shrugged. He wasn't sure why he had done it, to be honest. He only knew that he didn't want the girl to have something bad happen to her. _She's already gone through enough, I bet…_

Eriol chuckled. He figured different. He figured it was something more…_intimate_.

_Ah, but…it's still too soon to tell. _he thought. Syaoran was a very nice guy by nature, but he still didn't warm up to new people very quickly. He'd been okay with Tomoyo because he had met her a month after she and Eriol had been dating. He had explained to Eriol that it wasn't his business who Eriol did and didn't date and that Tomoyo had seemed alright anyway.

But for his friend to warm up so quickly to this complete stranger, Eriol was dubious. Something must have happened for Syaoran to accept this stranger into 'their world'.

They heard the door open, followed by a, "We're back!"

An exilerated looking Tomoyo dragged and overwhelmed and exhausted looking Sakura into the living room, both of them carrying at least 15 shopping bags each. 15 _large_ shopping bags each.

"Holy sh--" Eriol nudged Syaoran in the ribs.

"Not in front of these lovely women, Shao!" he scolded. Syaoran scoffed. He wasn't sure if he was pissed at the rib nudge or at the scolding.

"Is all this stuff for Sakura-san, Tomoyo?" Eriol asked.

"Most of it is, yeah. There was just so many things that looked good on her!" Tomoyo explained. Syaoran thought that she sounded a lot like an obsessed fan girl that found a new obsession. _But this **is** Tomoyo…_ he reminded himself. An obsessed fan girl was her most basic description.

"Well at least we don't have to worry about wardrobe, eh Shao?"

"I guess…" Syaoran was suddenly feeling strangely drained. He then figured that since he had the day off, that he might as well use it. He hadn't slept well last night, or for the last week for that matter. "If you'll excuse me…"

****

-)-(- -)-(-

Syaoran's dreams were very dark. In them, he would see a girl. A girl with long, brown hair. However, Syaoran couldn't tell if it was someone he knew or not, for he couldn't see her face. But there was a strange glow radiating from her. And this got him thinking that maybe it was Sakura.

He took a step towards her. She mimicked him, stepping forward at the same time he did. He continued to walk towards her; she continued to walk away. _Why the hell is she--?_

"Li-onii-san!"

Syaoran shot up straight, startling the girl next to him. He looked over at her. She looked like she had just seen a ghost or something. Her expression confused him. But as soon as he saw it, her freaked out expression was gone. She held out a mug of tea to him saying, "Here."

Syaoran blinked. He took the mug from her, and glanced at the clock on his night stand. It was 1:07. _That means I've been asleep for about three hours. Man…!_ he whined internally. He looked back to Sakura. "Is something wrong?" he asked in a bored voice.

She blinked, confused. "Um…No. not really. But…"

"What?" Syaoran asked warily.

"Ottou-san said I could use this room, because Okaa-san didn't want me sharing with him."

"…Who's 'Ottou-san' and 'Okaa-san'?"

"Oh, right. I think you called them…Eriol and Tomoyo…?"

Syaoran's mouth fell wide open. Eriol being called 'Ottou-san' was just wrong in so many ways, Syaoran couldn't bear to think of them. Then something clicked in his head.

"WHY ARE YOU SHARING **_MY_ ROOM?!"**

Sakura backed up, scared witless by Syaoran's sudden anger. Her throat closed up from shock and fear. Both Syaoran and Sakura turned their heads as Eriol appeared in the door way, saying, "It's because she's a lady. So we certainly can't make her sleep in the living room. And the fact that you're the purist guy I know means that you won't lay a finger on her. And Tomoyo's very possessive of me." He laughed.

"And all this makes it okay for her to sleep in here?!"

"Well, Tomoyo bought her all those--"

"I promise I won't be a bother!" Sakura interrupted. Syaoran looked back at her and blanched. Her eyes were determined. She meant what she said, but there were little tears building up in her eyes. Syaoran had always been known for his temperment, and wasn't very chivalrous, but there were some things that even he couldn't stand. Girls being attacked was one of them, girls crying was another.

In his head, he went back through the last two minutes, trying to figure out what he had said. He could only think that him yelling had upset her.

"Alright, alright!" He sighed. "You can sleep in here. Just please quit crying, okay," he said a bit more gently this time.

Sakura blinked in shock. She put a hesitant hand to her cheek, were a single tear had leaked out. She looked completely surprised. Like she hadn't known she had been tearing up. Her eyes were encompassed in surprise. But Syaoran could see another expression.

Horror. Pure and utter horror.

And it was gone. As soon as he had seen it, the horror in Sakura's eyes were gone. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I started --"

"It's not your fault, Sakura-san. Shao should be the one apologizing, not you."

"Shut up, ass hole!" Syaoran was getting very annoyed at his friend. This girl had been with them for half a day, and had wrapped both of Syaoran's friends around her little finger. It was almost disgusting in his mind. She was like a witch, or something.

And in the full second he thought all this, he heard a quiet sound. It seemed like laughter, but the consistency was different. Like bells or chimes. He looked over to where the sound was coming from.

Sakura sat there giggling at his and Eriol's confrontation. Syaoran stared at the strange girl. _Well, _he thought, _if she's a witch, she's very good at acting like an angel._

--

Me: and that was chapter 3.

Eriol: haha. virgin...

Syaoran: SHUT UP!! WHAT THE **HELL** IS YOUR PROBLEM?!

Me: -.- ...oh. btw i'm thinking about putting in Tsubasa characters, because i need comic relief characters. if you readers can tell me what you think of this idea, i'd be happy to hear. but that means you have to REVIEW!! see you all later!


	4. Chapter 4

Me: finally! i had a little trouble with this chapter, cause i wasn't sure what to do. i think it turned out to be a filler. damn.

Fuu: Emilinia owns no one!

Me: AHH FUU! where did you come from?!

Fuu: nowhere...it's your fault not telling me you had a new story up!

CCS characters: (_sweat drop_) well...enjoy...

--

A Fallen Angel

Chapter 4

Hazy Angel

"Hey, kid! I need a coke, a water, and two margaritas. Now!"

"Yes, Kurogane-san!" shouted back to the spiky black haired man.

"Now, now Kuro-rin. Don't push poor Syaoran-kun so hard."

"You're being too soft on the brat!! And for the last time! My name's Kurogane, not Kuro-rin or any of the other stupid nicknames you've got lodged in that twisted head of yours!"

Syaoran ignored the bickering co-workers as he went to the drinks. After all, he had gotten yelled at enough to last him through the month for not coming to work yesterday. He had thanked the heavens that he hadn't lost this much needed job. And now it was even more essential to keep it, what with Sakura living with him Eriol now.

_And I always thought Eriol eats a lot…_ he thought absently. He had to admit to himself that had become somewhat fond of the strange girl. She was really like a little sister. She was a very innocent soul, who laughed easily and smiled a lot.

But Syaoran thought he sensed a strange sort of loneliness from her. He couldn't explain what it was, why she felt that way, or why he knew it was there. But he **did** have a subtle feeling that it had something to do with her forgotten past. But he had no proof of that, and the feeling was very subtle.

He blinked and shook his head. _What am I doing?! _he asked himself. _I shouldn't be thinking about that free-loader right now!_ But for some reason he couldn't get her out of his mind. And when he could stop thinking of her for five minutes, she would creep into his thoughts again.

_…What the hell is wrong with me?_

"KID!!"

"Coming!"

****

-)-(- -)-(-

Syaoran sighed as he walked through the door. "I'm home," he called. And in the next second, he was tackled. He looked up to see Sakura, smiling like a kid at Christmas.

"Welcome back, Li-onii-san!" she exclaimed.

"Thanks…?" he half asked, half said. The position they had ended up in made him blush slightly. He had been tackled by girls in the past, sure. But none of them had ever knocked him down, lest of all in any sort of 'suggestive' position.

_Urgh! Get your mind out of the gutter! She's not even in the right age limit!! And I don't like her **that** way, anyway!_ he shouted at himself. He sat up to a sitting position, Sakura still in his lap. She was still smiling brightly up at him, and he could feel his cheeks growing steadily warmer. "Where's Eriol?" he asked.

"Ottou-san has to cram for a coming exam, so he went over Okka-san's house for the night," she explained as though it were the most natural thing in the world. Syaoran still wasn't used to Eriol and Tomoyo being referred to as parental figures. But for that matter, he still wasn't used to being called 'Big Brother' either, so he didn't say anything about it. If it was her preference, he'd just have to live with it. Or at least that was what he told himself.

_But this is weird…Eriol never has to cram for exams…_ But he figured that it wasn't any of his business, so he let it go. If it meant that he would be able to rest in peace, then he didn't care.

He went over to the fridge, looking for something to eat; Sakura followed him. The microwave went off, and Sakura went over to it. He didn't heed her any mind. "I'm going to have to go to the store soon. We're almost out of sandwich meat…" Syaoran muttered absently. Then Sakura tapped him lightly on the shoulder.

He turned to look at the small green eyed girl. She held up a cup of noodles to him saying, "I made them a few minutes ago. Here." He took the ramen from her.

"Thank you," he said stunned. "But what about you? Have you already eaten or--"

"I'm not hungry," she interrupted. She turned, went to sit on the couch, and quietly began to read. Syaoran watched her for a minuet. _She hasn't eaten **anything** while she's been here, though,_ he thought as he went the silver ware drawer. And she had said that she had made noodles for him; the microwave had just gone off! _But Eriol could have told her that…_ he reasoned. He went over and sat down on the other side of the couch, and continued to watch her. But as the minuets passed, his thoughts became incoherent. He was just watching Sakura read. She was interesting to watch while she read. Her facial expressions would change in accordance to the mood of the story. One minuet she would be put out, the next, smiling with warmth that would rival the summer sun.

"Why don't we go to bed now, Li-onii-san?" He jumped as her words reached into the haze of his mind. She was looking at him now, smiling sweetly. He nodded dumbly. As he got up, he tried to think about what he had been thinking about for the past thirty minuets.

All he could remember was Sakura.

--

Eriol: obsession, much?

Syaoran: SHUT UP!

Me: this is Syaoran, remember?

Eriol: ah, true that. true that.

Syaoran: WHAT THE HELL?!

Sakura: please review. and with that: until next time!


	5. Chapter 5

Me: thank you for waiting for this next chapter. i wish i had more reviews from the last chapter, though. T.T oh well. i'm still going to upload this story anyway. so whatever.

Fuu: we don't own CCS or any of it's characters.

Eriol & Tomoyo: now please enjoy.

--

A Fallen Angel

Chapter 5

Terrified Angel

Syaoran was unusually restless the fourth night of taking in Sakura. And he blamed her, as she lay next to him, for his inability to sleep. Well, her and the thunder storm rumbling outside. And so he decided to get a glass of water real quick, then try to go back to sleep.

But as he grabbed for a glass from the cabinet, a shrill scream pierced the calm of the apartment. Syaoran dropped his glass in surprise, which the glass shards scattered and clinked. But Syaoran paid it no mind. He rushed back into his room, barely missing Eriol, who stumbled out of his room in confusion.

"Sakura!!" Syaoran shouted. She screamed again. She tossed and turned in his bed, writhing in agony. "Sakura!" Syaoran shouted again, trying to shake her awake, "Wake up, Sakura!" He felt a strange desperation in his chest, as she still wouldn't wake. Tears flowed down her cheeks. She began to mutter under her breath.

Syaoran could only make out a few words, most of the words being "Stop" and "It hurts". Eriol watched in horror as Syaoran tried in desperation to wake Sakura up.

"SAKURA!" Syaoran yelled. Finally, Sakura's eyes opened and woke with a start. She stared at nothing, still half asleep.

"Sakura-san…?" Eriol hedged. She didn't acknowledge him. Syaoran hesitated for a moment, and put a hesitant hand on Sakura's shoulder. She flinched and snapped her head towards him. His breath caught as he read her eyes. Whatever she had seen in her dream, it had terrified her completely. She stared at him for a long moment before recognition colored her eyes.

"Li-onii-san!" she cried as she jumped onto him, tears streaming down her face. Syaoran tried to swallow down the growing lump in his throat, and held the sobbing emerald eyed girl back. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered what on earth he was doing, but he ignored the voice. He looked over at Eriol. He wondered briefly what his own face looked like, as he stared the extreme worry in the dark blue eyes of his friend. The two shared a long look, and when Syaoran looked back at Sakura, she was already asleep once more with tears still running down her cheeks.

****

-)-(- -)-(-

"What do you mean, Eriol?" Syaoran asked him, still cradling Sakura.

"Do you remember what you said? You said that her past must have been traumatizing, and that's why she forgot it," Eriol explained.

"You make it sound like she consciously gave herself amnesia…"

"Don't change the subject, Shao. Anyway, I was thinking that maybe that nightmare she just had was her sub-conscience remembering."

Syaoran looked down at the girl sleeping peacefully in his arms now. Eriol's idea sounded incredible, and yet at the same time, plausible. Perhaps those strange looks he sometimes caught in her eyes were sub-conscience memories showing through.

_But she was…sleeping so peacefully before…___

I left the room…!

_Ha! Yeah right!_ he thought ruefully, criticizing himself for having such ridiculous thoughts. It was more likely that her nightmare had started off as a good dream, and then happened to go south the same time Syaoran had left the room. Coincidence, that's all it was.

_"There is no such thing as 'coincidence'. All there is fate."___

"Well," Eriol said, knocking Syaoran out of his reverie, "I guess it's a good thing I paired you two up." He looked bemused as he continued, "Really, look at how calm Sakura-san is now. And I don't think I've ever seen you hold girl like that for that long, Shao."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean…?"

Eriol chuckled. "It means that I think you've fallen for someone, Shao."

Syaoran stuttered. _AS IF!! _he shouted internally. He felt his face flush at Eriol's assumption. "Wh-where did that come from…?!" he asked and demanded. He actually sounded a lot calmer than he felt.

"Well, there's the fact that your holding Sakura-san like a life line. And that you're not yelling at me for stating that you like Sakura-san. And your face is bright red."

Syaoran gulped, and looked back the sleeping girl he held. And he thought, _Even if I **did** like her, there's no way she'd like me back…_

--

Me: And that was Chapter 5. short, i know. but there's still more to come. it probably **would** be longer if my annoying little brother wasn't pestering me. grr! he pisses me off!!

Sakura: at least he doesn't verbally abuse you.

Me: yeah maybe...but he bites me, which is worse!

Sakura: ...yikes...

Syaoran: ...sucks to be you. in any case, don't you readers forget to review!

Fuu: that's true. can't have you skipping out on us with out telling us what you all think!

Me: on that note, we bid you all farewell for now! bye!


	6. Chapter 6

Me: this is coming out faster than i had originally thought it would... lol

Fuu: this purely fan made. we own no characters, nor the original CCS story or Tsubasa characters.

Syaoran: enjoy your crappy fanfic.

Me: MY STORY'S NOT CRAPPY!!

--

A Fallen Angel

Chapter 6

Working Angel

Sakura stirred and woke up. She looked up to see Syaoran's face mere inches from her own. Blood rushed to her cheeks as her eyes trailed to his lips. She smacked herself internally. As if this beautiful amber eyed, dark brown haired boy would ever fall for someone like her. She felt a strange remorse fill up inside her. The first night she had slept in his room he had made it quite clear that she was to stay on her edge of the bed, and in turn he would stay on his.

Sakura sighed and made to move away from her older brother figure. But she felt his restraining arms wrapped securely around her petite form. She felt a thrill go through her body at the contact. But she also felt a small twinge of fear that she didn't recognize. It was a fear that wasn't her own, but her body acknowledged the foreign emotion.

It felt like being with Syaoran was forbidden, but Sakura no idea why. And so she went against the small twinge of fear, and snuggled closer to Syaoran, absorbing his warmth and sharing her own. And though she revealed in her older brother's warmth, she couldn't fall asleep again. So she made up for dreaming by watching him sleep. He mumbled quietly off and on in his sleep. Every so often, she would catch Eriol's or Tomoyo's name. but her name slipped through his lips more often she noted. And she subtly wondered if that meant anything.

After about an hour, Syaoran stirred and woke to come face to face with a fully awakened Sakura. He started, thinking that she would still be asleep. He sat up, still holding her close to him.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she reassured him, smiling.

"You sure…? That nightmare seemed to have really scared you…"

"Yes I'm fine, really," she repeated. "I don't remember what it was about, anyway."

His shoulders sagged from both relief and exhaustion, and he rested his forehead on top of her head. She lifted her head so she could meet his eyes.

Her breath caught as she looked at him. There was an unusual tenderness that Sakura had never seen in Syaoran's eyes that was mixed with relief. And Sakura was suddenly grateful for the darkness, as her cheeks were once again burning under the heat of her blush.

And there was that fear again.

It was somewhat stronger this time, more potent. A small voice that Sakura hardly heard told her to get away from this boy, but she paid it no mind. She just allowed this precious person hold her close.

"Sakura," Syaoran muttered.

She felt a pleasant warmth encompass her body when he said her name. It was gone a second after as he let go of her so he could look in the eyes. "Hmm?"

Syaoran hesitated, wondering if this was the right time to ask. "Do you…remember anything now? About your past?"

Surprise flitted across her eyes, followed by sadness. She shook her head miserably.

"I see. Can't be helped, I guess…"

"I'm sorry."

"It's not--"

"Good morning, you two," came a cheery voice. Both Sakura and Syaoran jumped, causing them both to fall on the floor (Syaoran because he had been very close to the edge of his bed, Sakura because Syaoran had still had a grip on her arms) on top of each other.

Sakura gave a small "Ouch" while Syaoran began to yell, "What the hell, Eriol?! Did you have to sneak up on us like that?!"

"Why?" Eriol asked with a sly smile stuck on his face. "Was I interrupting a moment?"

"Wha…?"

"Ah, good morning Ottou-san."

"A very good morning it is, Sakura-san. I apologize. I didn't mean to startle you. Are you alright?"

"Yes. I'm fine. Thank you."

"You okay, Shao?"

"Perfect," Syaoran said, an edge of sarcasm in his voice.

"Good. Now let's have some breakfast," Eriol responded cheerfully.

****

-)-(- -)-(-

Eriol left for school minutes after they had all eaten breakfast and Syaoran was getting ready to leave for his first part-time job of the day. He began to brood about the fact that they were running low on money. And he wouldn't get his next paycheck for another week or so. He ran out the door, giving a quick "I'm leaving" to Sakura on his way out. He ran towards the stairs, not patient enough for the elevator.

But when he reached the front door of the apartment complex, he saw rain coming down in torrents. He paused for a second, and in that second he heard Sakura call out, "Li-onii-san!! Wait!" He turned to face her. She was sprinting towards him, holding two umbrellas.

She handed him one of the umbrellas, lightly panting. "Li-onii-san," Sakura said, "if you don't mind…I'd like to go with you to work."

Syaoran blinked. "Why…?"

"Because I want to help you and Ottou-san. And since you're always muttering about 'not having enough money' under your breath, I figured I could help."

Syaoran said nothing for a moment, and finally turned away saying, "Do as you like, Sakura. Just don't do any shady business'."

"Okay."

And he ran out into the downpour. Sakura watched him till she couldn't see him anymore. She opened her umbrella and stepped out into the unrelenting rain. She began walking past different shops, looking for places that needed help.

When she passed the fifth shop, she stopped, wondering whether or not to go back home. A car speeded by, drenching her. She looked down at the ruined dress that Tomoyo had bought for her five days ago. It had been her present to Sakura, and it was completely ruined. Tears welled up in Sakura's eyes as she wondered how she could ever make it up to her mother figure.

"Are you okay?!" Sakura looked over to her right, where a girl with long dark pigtails stood in the door way. "What the heck are you doing out here in this kind of weather?" she demanded. "Come on!" she continued, beckoning to Sakura.

Sakura hurried over to the girl, and came through the door after her. She looked around her seeing racks and racks of designer outfits. She gaped as she shook out her umbrella. There were yukatas, traditional kimonos, and even some Chinese silk dresses. And there seemed to be more beyond that, though Sakura couldn't see them. "Hold on for a sec, 'kay?" Sakura nodded. The unknown girl went behind a rack of the colorful Chinese silk dresses to an unseen rack. She came back a moment later, holding a cerulean blue summer dress with a short sleeved, white mini over coat in one hand, and a towel in the other. The girl handed the towel to Sakura, told her to take her shoes off, and then pushed Sakura into one of the dressing rooms. "Knock twice when your dry, alright?"

"Okay." After Sakura was more or less dry, she knocked and the dress was thrown over the door of the dressing room. Sakura changed quickly and came back out, where the other girl was waiting. "Thank you for helping me."

"No prob. Now, you mind telling me what you were doing out there in the rain?"

"I was looking for a job, actually," Sakura told the girl, her face flushed in minor embarrassment.

"That right? Well, I'm always looking for help here at my shop. And you look like you need money."

"I do! Uh, I mean, " Sakura amended quickly, "what exactly would I have to do…?"

"…I think you'd make a good model, personally. Though, I'd like Yuuko-san's secondary opinion. She should be by soon, so…"

"I heard my name." A woman in what looked to be her late twenties peered in through the entrance to the dressing rooms. She was very lovely, with long, black hair tied back into a simple pony tail and a tall, slim, and graceful figure. She wore one of the Chinese silk dresses that Sakura was sure she had seen on one of the clothes racks. "Is there something you wanted, Meilin-san?"

"Ah, you are truly a mind reader," Meilin joked. "I'd like to ask your opinion on this girl," she said, pointing to Sakura, "I'm thinking about making her one of my models. What do you think…?"

Yuuko said nothing. She walked over to Sakura and grabbed her chin turning the honey brunette's head from one side to the other. "…You have a good face. Very cute. Your legs are a little short," said Yuuko, stepping back to inspect Sakura further, "but you are Japanese. It is to be expected, I suppose…But all in all, you would be a good choice for a model."

Sakura blushed at the stream of complements. Though she felt as though she were a piece of meat, the way this breath taking-ly beautiful women looked at her. But if she was to get this job, she would have to get used to looks like that.

"Shall we give her a practice run? Just to make sure?" Meilin asked.

"That sounds like a good idea. Let's do it!" Yuuko grabbed Sakura's hand and led her into a room labeled '**CONFERENCE ROOM**'. Yuuko gave Sakura a set of instructions. She performed them to the best of her ability, and passed.

"Listen, we have a new client coming in about an hour, looking at our summer dress line up," Meilin informed Sakura. "The one you're already wearing is only one of the dresses I plan to show them. There is another one I'd like you to wear. And then Yuuko-san here will be modeling for them when you are not.

"I will only be showing them four different dresses. If they don't sign a contract…we'll just wait till then. Okay?"

"Alright."

"Good. Now, Yuuko-san will fix you up. I don't think you'll need much. Perhaps just some mascara, eyeliner, light shadow, and lip gloss."

"I was thinking the exact same thing, Meilin-san. Ah, we're are such the perfect friends, are we not?" Yuuko cried in delight to Meilin only.

"Yes we are! And if everything goes well, we'll go have a celebration!"

"Ah, but we'll have to party twice as hard," Yuuko contradicted, "one for the new employee, another for the new contract."

"Hmm…But we can handle it! We party till dawn!!"

"Eh…?!"

"Oh come now, Sakura-san. You can't possibly join us and not expect us to celebrate. In fact," Yuuko said, turning back to Meilin, "I hear you're engaged. Is that right?"

Meilin blushed and stuttered before she gave a coherent answer. "Yes that's right."

"So? Who's the lucky guy?" Sakura also felt curious. She had just met Meilin, but she felt that she could grow to like this straight forward girl.

"It's…Fai-kun."

"No way! He finally asked you?!" Yuuko asked excitedly.

"Yeah."

"Well then, when we go to celebrate, we have to stop by so I can congratulate Fai-san! And we can see everyone else too!"

"If we get a chance to celebrate. First we have to convince these people to sign the contract," Meilin said seriously.

"You're right. Come on Sakura-san." The older model dragged Sakura by the hand to a small dressing room.

_I'm going to work super hard, Li-onii-san! You can count on me!_

--

Me: yay! i managed to make longer!! pats for me! and reviews! for working so hard, i'd better hear reviews! i haven't gotten anything so far for my last chapter, so i better see my email getting filled!!

Fuu: there's no need to--

Me: oh wait! i just read something for my last chap. thanx moon23()! but i still better see more. i will be very angry if i don't see anything, and you won't like me when i'm angry. (_evil aura_)

everyone else: ...Xao's scarier...

Me: Xao. isn't. here. i. am.

Fuu: Xao is Emilinia's nobody. who will be here next update!

Me: there won't be a next update unless i see lots of reviews and comments. i mean it.

Sakura: until next time!


	7. Chapter 7

Me: hello again! i finished chapter 7! yay! thanx to all of you wonderful readers that have been reviewing, and outting my story on their alerts and favs! you truly know how to make a writer feel special. (_teary eyed_) you're all wonderful! i will try my best to please you!

Fuu: there, there...

Xao: Emilinia doesn't own anything or anybody. so don't go trying to sue her, people.

Tsubasa & CCS cast: enjoy this chapter!

--

A Fallen Angel

Chapter 7

Brother Angel

The transaction had gone on without a hitch, and Meilin and Yuuko had taken Sakura to Fai's bar. Sakura had been surprised when it was Syaoran who waited their table. And she guessed that he had been equally surprised. Though whether or not that had been because of her being there with Meilin and Yuuko, or being there period she wasn't sure. But she had been rather amused and pleased when Syaoran's face would light up whenever she smiled at him. And Meilin had noticed his strange behavior to, and had commented, "Careful Sayoran. You might faint with all that blood rushing to your head," once.

Sakura giggled, recalling last night. Though Eriol hadn't been too happy about it, it had still been a lot of fun hanging out with her new friends/co-workers.

But today was Saturday, and no new clients were coming to see Meilin's clothes so Sakura had no work, Syaoran had work again today, and she didn't want to get in the way of Eriol's and Tomoyo's studying. So Sakura decided to do some window shopping to pass the time.

She hadn't known which way she had gone, but she had ended up in a district that she had never been to, yet seemed strangely familiar. She felt heart stop as a thought raced in her mind. _What if I've been here before…? Maybe I'll remember something if I keep going…_

The young girl walked a little faster, eager to know something about herself but wanting to see everything she could. But she stopped dead when she saw an old fashioned brick building. The sign in front said '**TRADITIONAL CAKE BAKERY**'. Something within Sakura's body stirred at the sight of the humble little building.

She hesitated outside the door, suddenly frightened by what she might find burried within. But then she shook her head. _I've come too far to turn back now!_ she thought determinedly.

She reached for the handle and peeked in through the door. Behind the counter was a tall man with dark chocolate, almost black, colored hair and tired brown eyes. Sakura felt her heart wrench at the site of him, so much so that she began to tear up. And she felt a small pain begin to blossom in her chest. She had half a mind to turn around and run right then and there, but her legs wouldn't move anywhere but forward. And so she went through the door completely.

"Excuse me," she said in a small voice. The man started, his eyes darting over to her petite form. The pain in her chest worsened, like her lungs were being stretched out until they were tearing. Tears truly began to fall down her cheeks from the indescribable pain in her chest and the growing ache in her heart.

"Sakura!" the man breathed urgently. He ran from the back of the counter over to her frozen form standing in the doorway. He grabbed her shoulders and came down to her eyelevel. "Sakura, is that really you?!" he asked in a low, rough voice.

"…O-onii…chan…" Sakura's voice barely rose higher than a whisper. And the blossoming pain in her chest completely swallowed her entire being. Her body racked with pained spasms that grew worse with each second. She fought down screams and shrieks of pain and pure agony, opting instead to let the tears flow down her face freely and clutch her chest.

"It's hurting you again, isn't it?" her older brother asked, understanding her tears immediately. "It's going to be okay Sakura. Calm down, calm down…" he whispered, holding her close to his body. Her sobs quieted, but the pain in her chest wouldn't go away. Some small voice in the back of her head told that wasn't right, but the pain drowned out all reason to her. Hr world began to go black and red and the pain moved from her chest to the small of her back, tearing at her lungs and shoulder blades.

"Onii-chan…it h-…hurts…"

"I know, I know. Just calm down. It's going to be okay, I promise. But you have to calm down. Calm down," he chanted over and over, as though reciting a spell. She tried to clear the pain from her mind, tried to settle down. But the pain only continued to worsen. She needed someone else…someone…else…

"_Syaoran-kun_…" she whispered before the pain seized her entire body, and she blacked out.

--

Me: i have been getting lots of reviews saying, "i hope we get to hear more about Sakura's past" and "i'd really like to hear what happened to Sakura. it must have been taumatic" and others along the same line. so, i hope this chapter gives you a little more insight on what happened to her. and i finally get to put Touya into my story! i love his character, don't you? he's so much fun to work with, you know?

Yukito: you mean in the fact he's a jerk, but he still has a major sister complex?

Me: exactly.

Touya: shut up, both of you.

Fuu: ah, 'onii-chan's' angry...

Touya: shut up...

Xao: we hope you liked this chapter, and we want you all to review as soon as you have read it.

Fuu: until next time!

Me: Mattashuta (see you later)!


	8. Chapter 8

Me: here's chapter eight! i've been loving all the comments! and i got my 1st constructive critisism today. they said they don't like what i've been doing for the disclaimers, so i'll keep this one short. i don't own and CCS or Tsubasa characters that are in this fic. Now enjoy!

--

A Fallen Angel

Chapter 8

Goodnight Angel

"Sakura…!"

That voice broke through the blackness in Sakura's thoughts. It was a familiar voice, but not the one her heart yearned to hear calling her name. but it was her only way to break through the black waters of unconsciousness. And so she held to the voice that was her only life line.

Finally, her senses began to return to her. The first being her sense of smell, as she recognized a familiar, yet unknown pastry smell. And then she identified who was with her.

"Onii-chan," she whispered softly. She opened her eyes a little, letting the light in little bit by little bit. In time, her eyes were completely open, and she staring face to face with her older brother.

Touya Kinomoto met her gaze and exhaled in relief. He hadn't expected her to walk into his shop out the blue, but he knew he was glad to see her alive. After she had run away from home a little more than a month ago, no one had known what had become of the unfortunate girl. But he also hadn't expected _it_ to hurt her when she saw him.

"You okay, Sakura?"

She inclined her head slightly. Her body still ached, but the pain was bearable. She could handle it now. She looked around, seeing the old fashioned oven and brick walls and figured that she was still in her older brother's cake store.

"Where have been, Sakura?" Touya questioned her.

"…Away from--"

"I realize _that_! I mean where and who have you been with!?"

"…You know I can't tell you that, Onii-chan. You're under the same chains that I am under."

Touya didn't say anything for a long moment. Finally he asked, "Who's Syaoran?"

Sakura's breath caught. _I said his name **out loud**…?!_ "…He's my imaginary friend," she lied.

Touya looked like he didn't buy it, but he said nothing about it. Instead, he asked, "You made yourself forget, didn't you? That's why the pain was so intense."

Sakura nodded. "I never intended to remember, so I wasn't expecting the onslaught _it_ gave me."

"Makes sense…"

Neither of them said anything for a long time. So Sakura jumped when touya broke through her trance saying, "You should probably leave again. And if you can…" he continued, "forget about what you did today, okay?"

Sakura looked back to his exhausted brown eyes, horrified. But she knew he was right, so she just nodded. "But," she contradicted, "you have to promise to stay close. Because," she explained to his confused expression, "I have a feeling that everything is going to drastically change, and I need to explain to the people I'm living with my past. Knowing her, she'll be coming for me soon…"

"Okay. I get it."

"Well then, I guess I'll be going now," Sakura told Touya cheerfully. "Here's _where_ I've been. Promise not to tell her." Touya nodded as Sakura handed him the adress to Syaoran and Eriol's apartment.

"Good night, squirt," Touya said.

Sakura smiled. "Good night…Onii-chan…" She muttered something under her breath and her eyes closed once more.

****

-)-(- -)-(-

When Sakura awoke, she was back in her apartment. _But how did I…? Wasn't I…with someone…? What did I do today…? Ugh, my minds all fuzzy. What's wrong with me?!_

"You awake now?"

She jumped and looked to her right. Syaoran laid next to her. Sakura felt her heart clench at the sight of him; he looked disheveled, absolutely exhausted. There were dark circles under his eyes and his hair was a mess. She wondered just how long she had been out of it, and how much he had worried.

She touched his cheek, too worried about him than to pay attention to the fact that her heartbeat had accelerated some. "Are you alright?" she asked him in a hushed voice. He smiled warily at her, and held her hand to his cheek.

"I should be asking _you_ that. You've been asleep for two full days."

Sakura inhaled sharply. She sat up quickly; Syaoran followed her lead a little bit slower. She met his gaze again and exclaimed, "I've been asleep for two whole days?!"

He nodded slowly, alarmed at her reaction. Her honey brown bangs fell into her eyes as she asked, "And you've been with me the whole time…?"

Syaoran blushed but nodded. Sakura tensed and rested her head against Syaoran's shoulder. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry," she whispered.

His arms wrapped around her, almost instinctively. "You don't need to apologize to me. Anyone would have done the same. It's not that big a deal."

But it was. She didn't know why but it _was_ a big deal. She didn't want him to worry about her. She was strong, and she didn't want him to think she was any sort of damsel in distress. Of any type.

So why was she acting so weak? That question plagued her mind. Why was that when she was around _him_ she acted like a child? And why couldn't she understand him at all?

When she had that first nightmare, he had held her, but she couldn't figure out the reason behind it. Whenever she smiled at him, his face would flush ever so slightly, and though she liked that reaction, she had no idea _why_.

And then there was herself. She had been around Eriol and Fai and Kurogane. And though she liked them all, it paled in comparison to what she felt whenever she was around Syaoran.

When she had looked at him the first time he had held her, the look her gave her had made her heart skip a beat. And when she was this close to him, his scent made her mind reel. It was a heavenly smell; there was no other way to describe it. It was mainly coffee and Shea butter soap. And the spice of alcohol was there as well. Actually, there were a lot of smells, most covered up the rich scent of the Shea butter soap.

But Sakura couldn't remember smelling any of them before now…

_Maybe I'm unobservant…? _she thought as she continued to take in Syaoran's scent as discreetly as she possibly could. But something told her that wasn't true. For though she focused on Syaoran's scent, she could smell other scents too. The scent of fried eggs and tofu coming from the kitchen, two more medleys of scents, which Sakura guessed were Tomoyo and Eriol.

She could smell almost everything.

And then there was one more scent. One she did and did not recognize. It was a mainly pastry scent, but there were others. So that meant that it had been another person had been here. Sakura focused on this new scent, trying to figure out why it seemed familiar, but nothing and no one came to mind. But she still branded the scent into her memory as she returned to Syaoran's calming scent.

And somewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered why she wasn't freaked out by this. For some reason, it felt normal to her. And that was strange.

But not quite as strange as her now noticed accelerated heart beat. She searched herself, trying to find why Syaoran's touch made her heart flutter. Why every time she saw him, she felt lighter than air. Why simply his presence gave her a sense of comfort.

Why she _him_ different from everyone else.

And it hit her like a ton of bricks, and she felt a mix of fear, joy, and understanding run through body.

_I love him._

_--_

Me: yay! a confession! and what the hell is with the sense description? don't ry to ask it in your reviews, cause you'll find out anyway. it's all down hill from here folks! until next time! and don't forget to review!

**WARNING**: i've got school tomorrow, so i won't be able to update as fast as i have been. but i'll do my best to update every other day. once a week at least.

and with that, i bid you all adieu. see ya!


	9. Chapter 9

Me: OH MY GOD!! this took much longer than it should have. but it's done, aand here it is now. hopefully the rest will fly.

Fuu: we don't own CCS or TRC.

Xao: so don't sue us.

Me: hope you like it!

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A Fallen Angel

Chapter 9

An Angel's Confession

Syaoran began to notice that Sakura was beginning to act rather strangely. When the two of them were alone, it would sometimes get rather awkward between them, and he never knew how that happened. And sometimes Sakura would slip out of his room at night. He never knew where she went cause he didn't like to pry, but it worried him nonetheless. One night when she slipped out, his curiosity won over him and he followed her as soon as she was out the door.

He heard the landing door shut, as though it echoed through the apartment. Syaoran got his coat and followed her out to the landing. She sat there, looking at nothing with a wistful expression. Her green eyes were darker than their normal emerald-jade color as she sat there unmoving. She was like a silhouette. Beautiful, but only a statue.

He called out to her anyway. She came to life and looked at him, her eyes lit with light surprise but otherwise dead. After a minuet of silence, she apologized and said, "I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's fine," he said. He went over to sit next to her. Neither of them said anything for a long while. Finally, Syaoran broke the silence by asking, "What's on your mind?"

"…Do you remember? That night I had that nightmare, but I couldn't remember what it was about?" she inquired.

"It came back?"

"And others like it," she whispered. Syaoran glanced at her in horror. _Why didn't she say anything until now?!_ The boy felt somewhat as though he had been shunned. But he couldn't understand how.

"You didn't say anything…? To Eriol, or Tomoyo?" She shook her head. He waited for her to say something, but the silence grew between them. Syaoran sighed and said, "You don't have to say anything about it if you don't want to."

The sadness in the girl's emerald iris' deepened. The boy next to her felt exasperated. He had been able to read her like a book until about a week ago. After she woke up. He looked away form her. Syaoran's eyes narrowed, till they were amber slits. What exactly had happened, had she dreamed that would make her like this? He wasn't the only one who noticed the difference in the honey-brunette girl.

He looked over at her, and his throat closed up. Tears were forming in her eyes. He opened his mouth to say something.

"I'd tell you if…" she said cutting him off, "I didn't think you would--" she curled in on herself, sobbing quietly. Syaoran's heart clenched. One side of him cursed himself for being so soft while the other…

He put his arm around her shoulders. She stiffened for less than a second, and then leaned into him. "Sakura…" he breathed. She shuddered slightly, but not from the cold. "I don't like to see you hurting by yourself," he continued, still whispering.

"Why?" Sakura breathed back. Syaoran moved slightly so he could look Sakura in the eye. She almost wished that he hadn't, but looking at his deep amber eyes were just as gratifying as him holding her.

"Because…"

"…Yes…?"

He didn't answer for a long time. There was a battle behind his eyes. She could see it. An inner turmoil whether or not to say his reason or not.

Finally, he gave up. He rested his forehead on her shoulder and sighed. She understood.

"…You don't know…?"

"That's not it," he sighed. "It's just," he continued before she could say anything, "I don't know how to say it. For one thing, it's not ethically right and for another thing…"

"What?"

"You might think it's sick," he admitted reluctantly.

"Why? What is it? I will think it's sick if you don't tell me," she threatened. Or tried to. Syaoran looked up at her with a dubious expression.

"Is that right?" He began to grin. "You don't make very convincing threats, you know?"

Sakura blushed in turn. And she cursed the moon for being full that night, which meant that Syaoran could see it. And Syaoran's breath caught at the sight of it. And Sakura saw something in his eyes snap.

And it happened before she thought possible. He closed in on her and kissed her. It was an innocent yet deep kiss, and she didn't hesitate for too long to kiss him back. When they broke apart, Sakura asked, "Was _that_ your reason?"

"…Yes."

Sakura smiled. "I love you to," she whispered.

And she fell asleep in his embrace.

-----------------

Me: well there's the **real** ch 9. YAY! ^_^ Oh! and i'm also writing a Shugo Chara fic. it's not done yet, but...it's gonna come out soon if anyone's interested. and with that, i'll see you lovely people later! AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!! bye ^^!


	10. Chapter 10

Me: OHE MY GOD!!! it takes me a whole friggin' year just to finally post this chapter! i'm sorry, i'm so very, very sorry everyone.

Fuu: plz forgive our incompetence.

Xao: we feel real bad about it.

Me: we don't own CCS or any TRC characters in this story.

All: plz have mercy on our souls and enjoy this chapter!

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A Fallen Angel

Chapter 10

The Angel's Dream

"_Sakura-san. You can't hide from me forever," came a murmur from the darkness._

"_No! Shut up! I won't listen to you anymore! Just leave me alone!" an emerald eyed youth screamed into the shadows._

"_You have no choice, Sakura-san," the darkness chided her. "You cannot run from your fate."_

_She turned towards the endless shadows. "Just you watch me," she whispered. The shadows blew back to reveal an elderly woman. Her hair was long and tangled into rats' nests. She had sharp, piercing hazel eyes that cut to Sakura's soul. She was withered and pale, but in the way an old queen would look withered. Old but with a power that not even the strongest of hearts would think to oppose her._

"_Sakura-san! You know you have no right to live freely. Your life belongs to me. And you know what you truly are. You can't hide it forever, you know? And they'll hate you, once they find out what you really are."_

"_Shut up! Shut __**up**__!!" Sakura yelled, covering her ears. _I don't want to hear you! Go away! Quit coming into my dreams! Leave me alone!_ she screamed in her mind. Her thoughts bounced and echoed as sound and fury._

"_You can't stay in hiding forever, Sakura-san."_

"_Just watch me! You won't have control of me forever, you old hag!"_

_The elder woman chuckled menacingly and responded, "Keep telling yourself that, girl."_

**-)-(- -)-(-**

Sakura woke with a start. She felt strangely hot and cold. She touched her forehead to find it was damp. She sighed quietly and looked at Syaoran. He slept soundly at Sakura's side. She laid back down, nuzzling into the crook of her love's neck.

She tried to relax but her dreams had been becoming more and more vivid. She was starting to remember who she really was.

As she lay there with Syaoran, she thought of her last dream. But she saw it for more than it seemed.

It was a threat.

It was a promise; one that would be kept.

Unless she left.

And so she tried to be lighter than air and as discreet as possible when she lifted herself off the bed. She went over to her closet stuffed with custom-made clothes that Tomoyo had given her. Everything was cheery in color-the exact opposite of how she felt. Finally, after much arduous searching, she found a white Lolita dress with red lace and a black corset. _Not quite how I feel, but it'll do…at the very least, __**she**__'ll think it fitting…_

When she had finished changing, she set to work getting rid of everything that would tell Syaoran or the others she existed. When that was done and everything was gone, burned or hidden, Sakura went into Eriol's and Tomoyo's room and locked the door. She walked over to her parent-figures and placed her hand on the crown of Tomoyo's head. Her hand shimmered with a mysterious power and glowed. Sakura's face shown in the dim light, the shadows thick, turning her emerald eyes and dark hunter-green. When the light died from her hand, she walked to the other side of the bed and did the same to Eriol.

Once again, she finished and left the room. Her eyes had begun to sting from the whole tedious business. She looked at the door where she and Syaoran slept, and seriously contemplated letting only him remember her.

She shook her head. _She_ would never agree to that. _She_ would make Sakura do something that the honey-brunette did not want to do. And so, she took a deep breath and quietly opened the door.

Syaoran slept silently on the bed, oblivious to the world as he dreamed. Sakura wondered vaguely if he was dreaming of her, and felt a tear run down her cheek. She wiped at it furiously.

_Do it now, before you lose your nerve!_

Sakura walked over to her love and decided to do something a little different than what she had done for Eriol and Tomoyo.

She kneeled next to him and placed her hand on his cheek, turning his face to her. He sighed lightly and murmured her name.

Sakura bit her lip and steeled herself. She pressed her lips to his, tasting coffee and ice cream on his lips. She felt him open his mind at her touch and she dived into his conscience.

Syaoran shuddered at the alien touch. His eyes shot open and met Sakura's piteous ones without seeing them.

Sakura removed any inkling of her existence from Syaoran's mind as that incline him to remembering her again. But her heart willed he not forget her completely, and won out against her better judgment.

She implanted a new memory, one that was not true, but was not based solely on fiction either.

When she had finished, she reluctantly remover her lips from his, and he fell against the bed heavily. Sakura kissed his forehead once more in farewell and stood to leave.

When the cool air of the night hit her face, she allowed her tears to truly fall.

**-)-(- -)-(-**

Syaoran opened his eyes, feeling as though someone had put his head through a blender. He looked over at his clock.

Digital numbers flashed that it was 10:48.

Syaoran launched up quickly out of his bed, and instantly grabbed at his forehead, feeling overcome with pain, dizziness, and nausea. With a groan, he laid back down on the all too inviting pillow and began to breath deeply to fight off the migraine that threatened to over rule him.

Finally, when he felt he had at least a decent grip on his surroundings, he cautiously got out of bed. He went into the kitchen to see Eriol actually fixing breakfast. The amber eyed man groaned internally. _I must really be getting sick if Eriol got up before me. Not even when that…_

Syaoran blinked. He had lost his train of thought. He tried conjuring the thought again, but something was stopping him. After a few minutes, he decided to stop the useless endeavor. His head was killing him and the light was too bright.

"Hey Eriol," he grumbled irritably.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty."

Syaoran groaned. "Where's the aspirin?"

Eriol pointed to one of the wooden cabinets and asked, "What do you want it for?" as Syaoran dug it out.

"I have the worst migraine…"

"Oh."

Syaoran took about five, and when the pain from his killer migraine began to dissipate, he looked over at the calendar just out of habit. He nearly fell out of his chair.

The calendar said it was June 15th, when Syaoran was almost positive that yesterday had been April 28th. He looked over at his friend.

"Hey, Eriol?"

"Hm?"

"What was the date yesterday?"

Eriol thought for a minute then said, "Tuesday, April 28th, 2009. Why?"

Syaoran pointed at the calendar. Eriol stared at the piece of paper for a moment, looking at all the red cross-out marks that led up to Wednesday, June 15th. His jaw dropped and for a few moments, silence ruled the small apartment.

"WHAT THE HELL?!"

Syaoran grabbed at his forehead when Eriol yelled. Eriol winced and apologized and waited for Syaoran to recover before continuing.

"I don't remember the rest of April or May or the first week of June, do you?" Syaoran shook his head. Eriol huffed out a sigh and sat down heavily. "…Those must've been some drugs we were on…"

"Don't even kid about something like that. If we had been on drugs, we'd be feeling the repercussions by now."

"Then we were in comas?"

"Without walking up in a hospital…? I don't think we missed anything in all that time. If we had," Syaoran pointed out before Eriol could interrupt, "we'd have a thousand messages on our phone machine, right?"

Eriol was silent, seeing the logic in Syaoran's words. "Then what happened to us?"

Syaoran shook his head, unsure. What had happened in those months he couldn't remember.

Except, he had a single memory. A memory of a girl with brunette hair of some shade. The girl had been crying for some reason, and he had held her with no knowledge why. But when he looked back at the girl, she smiled sadly and disappeared in a shimmer of light.

Syaoran began to wonder who that had been, and where she was now.

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Me: well, that kinda puts a damper on their relationship doesn't it?

Fuu: no kidding.

Xao: and here i thought _i_ was the mean one. seperating them like that is simply cruel.

Me: but it keeps the story going! readers, tell me what you think. (psst, this means you have to REVIEW!!!!!!!!)

Fuu: we'll try to get more chapters posted sooner. it's summer, so we have free time.

Xao: sayonora.

Fuu: ja ne!

Me: matashutta!


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